Ladder



.;S pt. 11, 1928.

' D. w. BOARDMAN LADDE R Original Filed Jan. 7, 1926 2 ..$heets-Sheet Sept. 11, 1928.

D. w. BOARDMAN LADDE R Original Filed Jan. '7, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I nvcllior 21% flavor/177022.

Patented Sept. 11, 1928.

UNITED STATES 1,684,123 PATENT, OFFICE.

DAVID W. BOARDMAN, OF LOS'ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

LADDER.

Application filed January 7, 1926.v Serial No. 79,863. Renewed February 16, 1928.

This invention relates to an attachment for the sections of an extensible ladder, whereby an extensible ladder may be readily converted into an A-type ladder.

One of the important objects of the ,present invention is to provide an attachment for the upper ends ;of the sections of the extensible ladder which cooperatesto pro-J vide a hinge tofacilitate the formation of an A-type ladder, said means further forming a loclr'to hold the A-type ladder in its assembled position against accidental collapsing.

A further object is to provide an attachment of the above mentioned character which may be readily and easily secured on the ladder sections, the same being of such construction as to act as a guide when the ladder sections are moved to an extended or lowered position.

A still further object is to provide a device of the above mentioned character which is simple in construction, inexpensive, strong and durable, and further well adapted to thepurpose for which it is designed.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this application and in which like numerals designate like parts throughout.

the same: I

. Figure 1 is a fragmentary enlarged side elevation of the upper ends of the ladder sections showing my improved attachment associated therewith, the parts being arranged in such a manner as to form a lock for. holding the ladder sections in theirA- type formation. i

Figure 2 is a front edge elevation of the attachment as associated with the upper ends of the ladder sections.

Figure 3' is a rear edgeelevation.

Figure f is a side elevation of the means provided for holding the ladders against downwardsliding movement when disposed in their extensible positions.

Figure 5 is an edge elevation thereof;

Figure dis a view similar to Figure 1f showing the A-type sition.

Figure 7 'shows the position ofthe'parts I comprising .the attachment "when the ladder sections i are disposed in abutting relation ladder in its locked po and previous to the sliding of the sections.

- rangement of the parts when the ladder sec-1 tions are being extended with respect to each other. V

Figure 9 is a detail perspective view of one of the notched'plates, and

Figure 10 is a similar view of thecoopcrating member.

In thedrawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown, the preferred embodiment of my invention, the numerals l and 2 designate generally a pair of complementary ladder sections, which' are adapted to form either an extensible ladder,

or a ladder of the A-type in the manner hereinafter to be morefully described.

My attachment includes a metallic plate 3 w ich is adapted to be secured on the inner face of each of the side rails of the ladder section 1 at a point" adjacent the upper end thereof. The rear end of each plate is provided with'the angularly disposed portion 4 which engages the rear edge of the respective side rail and is adapted to be'secured thereto by suitable fasten-' ing screws shown at 5.- A suitable opening 6 is formed in the intermediate portion of the plate and through which is adapted to extend suitable fastening means shownat 7 which fastening means extends through the respective side rails of the ladder section 1., s 1

The plate3lhasits forward end project ing beyond the forward edge of each side rail of the ladder section-1 in the manner as clearly illustrated in Figures 1 and 7, the forward edge of the plate 3 being curved and having its lower portion cut away as indicated at 8. A diagonally arranged slot, 9 is formed in the upper forward portion of the plate 3, the same, extending from.

the upper edge of the plate to point adjacent the intermediate portion thereof and as is clearlyshown in the. drawings, the up- I perportion of theslot is relatively wide for a purpose which will be readily obvious. This diagonally arrangedslot 9 merges or communicates with an additional diagonally disposed slot 10 which is disposed in a rearwardIdirection, The lower rear portion of the lastmentioned diagonal slot -l0,is cut away as atall so that thelower portion of the diagonal slot l0- will be relatively wider.

thereof is the substantially rectangular plate 12, the same being provided with the openings 13 for receiving the securing means which is to be driven into the respective side rails of the ladder section 2. The upper rear end of the plate 12 has extending laterally therefrom the flat arm 14, and for ,the purpose of convenience, the same is termed a pintle. As is clearly illustrated in the several figures of the drawing, this pintle is disposed at an oblique angle, and is adapted for cooperation with the diagonally disposed slots 9 and 10 in the manner to be presently apparent.

"A substantially U-shaped guide member 15 has its crown portion 16 extending trans versely across the outer face of each of the side rails of the ladder section 1 at a point above the plate 3 so that the arms 17 and 1801 the U-shaped member extend transversely across the front and rear edges of the side rails of the ladder sections as clearly illustrated in Figures 2 and 8. As further illustrated in Figures 2 and 7 of the drawings, the crown or base portion 16 of the U-shaped guide member '15 is secured to'the outer face of the respective side rails of the ladder section 1 so that the arm 18 will lie flush against the rear edge of the respective side rail of the ladder section 1,

thus spacing the other arm 17 with respect to the forward edge of the rail of the section 1 for a purpose also to be presently apparent. The securing means for the U- shaped guide member 15 is shown at 19.

As shown more clearly in Figure 2, the

pintle 1 1 which is formed on the upper rear portion of the plate 12 is of such width as to have its outer edge spaced from the outer faceof the respective side rails of the ladder section 1 so that the U-shaped guide 15 will not interfere with the sliding movement of the pintle through the guide.

The inner face of each of the side rails of the ladder section 2, which sect-ion is of J less width than the section, has secured thereon in a pivoted manner, the rung en' gaging member 20. As this member is of the usual construction, and is further well known in'the art, a further detailed descrip tion thereof is not thought necessary.

It isv understood of course that the member is adapted to straddle the adjacent rungs A and B of the ladder sections'l and 2' respectivelyfor the purpose of limiting the the ladder sections 1 and 2 are disposed in the position as shown inFigures 1 and 6, and when in thls position it will be readily seen that the pintle let Will have its upper and lower edges engaging the upper and low-r edges of the diagonal slot 10 of the respective plates 3, so that a lock w ll be.

provided at the upper end of the ladder sections between the cooperating elements secured to the upper portions of the side rails of the ladder sections thereby holding the ladder in its i i-type formation against accidental collapsing.

-When it is desired to convert the ladder from an'A-type structure to an extensible ladder, the ladder sections are brought together to the position shown in Figure 7, thus disengaging the upper and" lower edges of the pintle from engagement with the upper and lower edges respectively of the diagonal slot 10 so that the lower edge ofthe pintle will be disposed within the cut away portion 11. The ladder section 2 is then moved laterally with respect to the section 1 so that the obliquely disposed pintlelt will be in alignmentwith the diagonalslot 9 and when the parts are so arranged, the section 2 1s then moved upwardly, causing the pintle 1 1 to pass upwardly through the diagonal slot 9 in the manner shown more clearly 111 Figure 8, so as to cause the pintle.

to be disengaged from the forward endof the respective plate.

As the outer edgeof the pintle is spaced from the crown portion 16 of the U-shaped guide 15, the same will be free to pass upwardly. through the U-shaped guide as the section 2' is moved upwardly... The U- shaped guide 15 will have its arms cooperating with the side rails of the section 2 in maintaining the same in proper: position with respect to the section 1 during the up ward sliding movement of thesection 2. As

heretofore stated, the member ,20 willcooperate in securing the complementary ladder section against downward sliding movement when the sections have been extended to their proper length. a I

It will thus beseen from the foregoing description, that aihighly'novel and' simple means has been provided which maybe,

readily and easily attached to a pair of come plementary ladder sections to enable said sections to either form an A-type ladder or an extensible laddenh The simplicity in which my improved at- 1 tachment is constructed further more enablesthe same to be secured on the ladder sections without necessitating any altera-- tions of the sections and will furthermore be strong and durable.

While I have shown the preferred enibodiment of my invention it is to be understood that minor changes in the size, shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is i In combination with a pair of ladder sections, of cooperating means associated with the u aper ends thereof to provide a hinge where y the ladder sections are adapted to form an A-type ladder, said means further acting as a lock to prevent the accidental collapsing of the A-type ladder, the aforementioned means comprising a plate secured on the inner face of each side rail of one of the ladder sections, the forward portion of the plate projecting beyond the forward edge of the respective side rail and being provided with a diagonally disposed slot which extends downwardly from the upper forward edge of the plate, the forward portion of the plate being further provided with an additional diagonally rearwardly disposed slot, the same being disposed at an angle with respect to the aforementioned diagonal slot and communicating therewith, the lower rearport-ion of the last mentioned slot being Wider than the upper 1portion.

thereof, the respective sides of the s ots being cut away at the juncture of said slots to provide a relatively wide entrance to the last mentioned diagonally disposed slot, an additional plate secured to the inner face of each of. the side rails of the complementary ladder section, an obliquely disposed pintle extending laterally from said last mentioned plate, said pintle adapted to pass through the first mentioned diagonal slot when the ladder sections are arranged in a predetermined manner, the ladder sections being further locked in A-typ'e formation when the pintleis disposed in the last mentioned diagonal slots in'a predetermined V manner.

In testimony whereof I DAVID W. BOARDMAN. 

